Grit

Guest: Kayti Sullivan, Chief Revenue Officer at The RealReal

In this episode, we cover: Falling in love with learning: The connection between intellectual curiosity and success — and why Kayti believes that 'leaders are readers.' (2:47) ... From art history to Yelp: Kayti's story of finding her career in sales. (10:20) ... 'Competitor to advocate': How Kayti went from salesperson to sales manager at Yelp — and how to succeed during transitional periods. (20:20) ... Careers and relationships: Why Kayti 'never really questioned' moving across the globe for jobs — and how marriage shifted her priorities. (28:03) ... 'Play the tape all the way to the end': How Kayti prioritizes tasks when leading high-growth, high-opportunity companies. (31:24) ... ‘Time is only one measurement’: Strategies for balancing work and personal life. (35:06) ... The importance for sales leaders to understand and use data to achieve a 'full 360-degree view' of a business' operations. (41:42) ... Why Kayti left Yelp in 2019 — and what she saw in The RealReal that made her want to join. (47:02) ... How Kayti defines grit. (51:41)

Show Notes

By her own admission, Kayti Sullivan was having a “quarter-life crisis” when she realized the jobs she could get with her Masters degree in Early European Art were not careers she had envisioned.

What followed for Kayti was the start of an incredibly successful twelve-year run in sales leadership at Yelp — where she traveled the globe and rose through the ranks. Now, Kayti is Chief Revenue Officer at The RealReal, an online marketplace for authentic luxury consignment.

On this episode of Go to Market Grit, Joubin and Kayti discuss the importance of falling in love with learning, what it takes to go from being an individual contributor to a manager, and strategies for balancing work and personal life.

In this episode, we cover:
  • Falling in love with learning: The connection between intellectual curiosity and success — and why Kayti believes that 'leaders are readers.' (2:47)
  • From art history to Yelp: Kayti's story of finding her career in sales. (10:20)
  • 'Competitor to advocate': How Kayti went from salesperson to sales manager at Yelp — and how to succeed during transitional periods. (20:20)
  • Careers and relationships: Why Kayti 'never really questioned' moving across the globe for jobs. (28:03)
  • 'Play the tape all the way to the end:' How Kayti prioritizes tasks when leading high-growth, high-opportunity companies. (31:24)
  • ‘Time is only one measurement:’ Strategies for balancing work and personal life. (35:06)
  • Why Kayti left Yelp in 2019 — and what she saw in The RealReal. (47:02)
  • How Kayti defines grit. (51:41)

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What is Grit?

Grit explores what it takes to create, build, and scale world-class organizations. It features weekly episodes highlighting the leaders who are pushing their companies to make a difference. This series is hosted by Joubin Mirzadegan, go to market operating partner at Kleiner Perkins, a venture capital firm investing in history-making founders.